HR0507 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0507 LRB094 12471 CSA 46930 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Msgr. Kevin William Vann of the Diocese of Springfield has been appointed Coadjutor Bishop-designate of the Diocese of Fort Worth by Pope Benedict XVI; and

WHEREAS, The announcement was made May 17, 2005, in Washington D.C., by Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, apostolic nuncio to the United States; and

WHEREAS, Bishop-designate Kevin Vann will assist Bishop Joseph P. Delaney in the day-to-day affairs of the diocese; as a coadjutor, he will assume the office of bishop when the office becomes vacant; the Diocese of Fort Worth is made up of 28 counties in north central Texas; it has more than 400,000 Catholics, with 90 parishes served by 113 priests and 62 deacons; and

WHEREAS, Msgr. Vann is currently the Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Springfield and Vicar for Priests of the diocese; he was born May 10, 1951, was baptized in Blessed Sacrament Parish, and grew up in nearby St. Agnes Parish; and

WHEREAS, Prior to entering the seminary, Msgr. Vann received his associate's degree from Springfield College in Illinois and his bachelor's degree in medical technology from Millikin University in Decatur; he began his religious studies at the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, and then graduated from Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis; he received his diploma in Latin Letters from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and his canon law degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome; he also taught canon law at Kenrick Seminary; and

WHEREAS, As a newly-ordained priest, Msgr. Vann was a parochial vicar at Cathedral Parish and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield; he was pastor at St. Benedict in Auburn and Our Lady of Lourdes; while retaining his principal parochial assignments, he acted as parochial administrator to St. Mary Parish in Pittsfield, Holy Redeemer Parish in Barry, Holy Family Parish in Griggsville (1989-1990), St. Mary in Pawnee (1991-1992), Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion (1995), St. Isidore in Bethany, and Sacred Heart in Dalton City (1995-1997); and

WHEREAS, Msgr. Vann served as diocesan judge, defender of the bond, and advocate for the Office of the Tribunal for nine years; he was dean of the Decatur Deanery from 1996 to 2001 and currently serves on the Committee for Hispanic Ministry and is the Episcopal contact for Hispanic ministry; he served as a judge on the Interdiocesan Court of Appeals, Province of Chicago, and has served as adjutant judicial vicar since 1994; he is a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre; in February of 2002, he received the papal honor, being named a Chaplain to His Holiness (Monsignor); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Msgr. Kevin Vann on his appointment as Coadjutor Bishop-designate of the Diocese of Fort Worth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Msgr. Kevin Vann as an expression of our admiration and esteem.